Pencil-making machine



March 26, 1929.

c. E. DANIELS PENCIL MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 13, 1926 [Nw WOR PatentedMar. 26, 1929-.

UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, vCHARLES E. DANIELS, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANCRA-YON COMPANY, 0F SANDUSKY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PENCIL-MAKING MACHINE.

Application led November 13, 1926. Serial No. 148,153.

This invention relates to pencil makingl machines, and has for itsprimary object to provide an apparatus of relatively simple constructionfor simultaneously making aplurality of pencils.

It is ,one of the important features of thel present invention toprovide improved means for simultaneously feeding a. plastic wood orpaper mass together with acentral lead or crayon core from a shapingnozzle and subjecting said mass at the nozzle outlet to the action ofheat to progressively solidify the same and thereby render theenveloping plastic mass rigid and inflexible.

It is another object of my invention to provide improved means forguiding and directing the formed pencil after leaving the shapingnozzle. e l l e With the above and other objects in View, the inventionconsists in the improved pencil making machine, and in the form,construction and relative arrangement of the several parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in .the accompanyingdrawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have disclosed one simple and satisfactoryembodiment of my invention, and in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the sever-al views,- p

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the machine illustartingone practical embodiment of my presentimprove# Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryhorizontal'section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is detail horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4; and 5 are similar detail sectional views taken on the lines and5-5 respectively, of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a det-ail view partly in sect-ion of the lead feeding device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, as herein shown,` the machineincludes a base having a pulp receiving chamber 5 of suitable capacitywhich is fed from a reservoir 6 communicating with said chamber at oneside thereof. A plurality of outlets 7 lead from the top of this chamberto an annular series of vertically disposed tapering shaping nozzles 8through which the lmaterialfis forced under pressure from chamber 5 by`the rotatively mounted worm 9 arranged in said chamber and driven bysuitable gearing or other equivalent means indicated at 10.

A h orlzontally positioned bed plate 11 is arranged above and in spacedrelation to the base of the machine and preferably connected therewithby a number of standards having any opening 16 therethrough. In

each arm 15 at the outer' side ofthe opening la series of, guide rollers17 'are arranged and radially positioned with respect to the axialcenter line of one of the shaping nozzles v8. An additional roller 18 isalso suitably mounted in the opening 16 in opposed spaced relation tothe central roller 17,

Spaced vertically extending guide rods 19 i are positioned through theopenings 16 lof .the armsl and suitably fixed at their lower ends to thelowermost arms 15 and at their upper ends to a plate 20 securedto theupper end of the cylinder 13.

Upon each pair of rods 19, a lead feeding member is arranged forverticalv sliding movement. As lherein shown, this member consists of acylindrical shank 21 having divergently extending arms 22 each providedwith an upwardly projecting sleeve 23 loosely engaged yupon one of therods 19. The lower end of the shank 21 is provided with vsuitable meansfor gripping one end ofthe lead or crayon. As seen in Fig. G, this leadreceiving and gripping means may consist of a sleeve 24 threaded uponthe reduced lower end of the shank 21 and having arranged therein aplurality of resilient gripping dogs or springs 25 fixed to the wall ofsaid sleeve at one of their ends. The other free. ends of these springdogsv are so formed as to securely grip the end of the lead insertedinto the sleeve '24. The lower end of the sleeve is provided with anapertured collar or washer 26 substantially corresponding in shape anddimensions with the cross sectional form of the body of the pencil. Atits upper end, the shank 21 is preferably provided with a longitudinallyextending part 27 also of the same cross sectional form as the pencilwhich is adapted to pass between and engage with the several guiderollers 17 and 18.

Within each nozzle 8 a tube 28 is axially positioned, said tube at itslower end being suitably braced from the wall of the nozzle and alsoconnected with said nozzle wall at a point in spaced relation to theupper end of the latter by means of the webs indicated at 29. The tube28 at its upper end terminates below the upper open end of the nozzle 8.As herein shown, this nozzle is of internal hexagonal cross sectionalshape, but of course if desired, may be of other forms. The upper end ofeach nozzle projects within the chamber of an electrical heating device30 of tubular form.

In the operation of the machine above described, assuming that thechamber 5 has been supplied with a pulp mass of paper, wood or suitablecomposition, when the worm 9 is rotated, said pulp will be forcedupwardly through the several nozzles 8 under pressure. As these nozzlesgradually taper towards their upper ends, the pressure upon the materialgradually increases, thereby closely compacting the fibers in ahomogenous mass which is finally extruded from the upper end of thenozzle in the desired cross sectional form. It is of course, understoodthat a lead has been inserted into the tube 28 of each nozzle andconnected at its upper end with the lead feeding member shown in Fig. 6.As the plastic material is forced from the upper end of the nozzle 8 in,engagement with the collar 26 at the lower end of the feeding device,said device is of course, forced upwardly along the guide rods 19. Thecompacted pulp mass immediately entering the tubular chamber 30 issubjected to a high heat so that the moisture is evaporated therefromand the plastic material becomes hard and rigid. Therefore, under thecontinued upward pressure of the mass-within the nozzle 8, the hardenedpulp and the lead core will be fed progressively upwardly between thesuccessive series of guide rollers 17 and 18 to produce a pencil of thedesired length. The lead gripping devices may then be readilydisconnected from the upper ends of the lead cores and the lower ends ofthe formed pencils cut ofi' at the upper ends of the nozzles8 and thenremoved. In this manner, it is possible to very rapidly produceperfectly formed pencils of the desired cross sectional shape andlength.

From the foregoing description, the several advanta eous features of mypresent invention will e fully and clearly understood. It will be seenthat the necessary apparatus consists of comparatively few parts whichare of simple form so that said apparatus is not likely to get outoforder, and may also be produced at comparatively small manufacturingcost. While I have herein shown an embodiment of my present improvementswhich I believe to be entirely practical and efiieient in operation, itwill nevertheless, be understood that the several essential featuresthereof might also be exemplified in numerous other alternativestructures, and I accordingly reserve the privelege of resorting to allsuch legitimate changes in the form, construction and relativearrangement of the several parts as may be fairly incorporated withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

1. In a machine for making pencils, a plurality of vertically disposedshaping nozzles, means for feeding a plastic pulp mass under pressureupwardly through said nozzles, and means actuated by the mass extrudedfrom the outlet ends of the nozzles for simultaneously and progressivelyfeeding a lead core embedded in the plastic mass through the mouth ofeach shaping nozzle.

2. In a machine .for making pencils, a plurality of vertically disposedshaping nozzles, means for feeding a plastic pulp mass under pressureupwardly through said nozzles, means actuated by the mass extruded fromthe outlet ends of the nozzles for simultaneously and progressivelyfeeding a lead core embedded in the plastic mass through the mouth ofeach shapingeribzzle, and means for heating the molded plastic mass asit leaves the nozzle mouth to evaporate the moisture content thereof.

3. In a machine for making pencils, a plurality of vertically disposedshaping nozzles, means for feeding a plastic pulp mass under pressureupwardly through said nozzles, means actuated by the mass extruded fromthe outlet ends of the nozzles for simultaneously and progressivelyfeeding a lead core embedded in. the plastic mass through the mouth ofeach shaping nozzle, means for heating the molded plastic mass as itleaves the nozzle mouth to evaporate the moisture content thereof, andguiding means for the lead feeding device and the body of the pencilarranged above said heating means.

4. In a machine for making pencils, a plurality of vertically disposedshaping nozzles, means for feeding a plastic pulp mass under pressureupwardly through said nozzles, means actuated by the mass extruded fromthe outlet ends of the nozzles for simultaneously and progressivelyfeeding a lead core embedded in the plastic mass through the mouth ofeach shaping nozzle, means for heating the molded plastic mass as itleaves the nozzle mouth to evaporate the moisture content thereof, saidlead feeding means including a member having means to grip the end ofthe lead at one of its ends and provided with spaced sleeves at itsother end, rigid guide rods upon which said sleeves are loosely engaged,and Vertically spaced sets of guide rollers between which the pencilbody is received and guided in its upward movement.

5. In a machine ior making pencils, a plurality of shaping nozzles,means to feed a plastic pulp mass under pressure through said nozzles,means actuated by the mass extruded from the outlet ends of the nozzlesv for progressively feeding a core through the mouth ot each nozzle, andmeans embracing the outlet ends of the nozzles to evaporate the moisturefrom the mass as it lemerges from the out-let ends of the nozzles.

6. In a machine for making pencils, a plurality of shaping nozzles,means to feed a plastic pulp mass under pressure through said nozzles,means actuated by the mass extruded from the outlet ends of the nozzlesfor progressively feeding a lcore through the mouth of each nozzle, anda heating element embracing the outlet end of each nozzle to heat themass as it emerges from the nozzles to evaporate its moisture content.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

CHARLES E. DANIELS.

